BRUNSWICK, Ohio -- Consider the huge variety of
attractions that bring visitors to Ohio – from the Cleveland Museum of Art to
Amish country to Ash Cave.

Then consider the task of
Mary Cusick, the new director of TourismOhio, whose job over the next several months
is to take those varied attractions – and hundreds of others, from Athens to
Zanesville -- and link them together in a single cohesive and catchy way.

Who visits Ohio?

The state recorded 181 million visits in 2012, up nearly 4 percent from the year before. About 38 million people stayed overnight.

How much they spent: $29 billion

Where they came from: The majority of visitors to Ohio come from within 300 miles of the state line. The top originating states are Ohio, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

Source:TourismOhio

Who spends the most?

Top 10 state tourism budgets for 2012-2013

Hawaii, $75 million

Florida, $56 million

Illinois, $55 million

California, $50 million

Texas, $37 million

Michigan, $27 million

Virginia, $18 million

Alaska, $17 million

Arkansas, $15 million

Wisconsin, $15 million

Ohio, at $5 million, ranked 41st for fiscal year 2013. But this year, the state’s tourism budget jumped to $10 million, which would rank it 28th.

Source:U.S. Travel Association

Think "Pure Michigan," with a
Buckeye twist.

"We can be every bit if not
more effective than that campaign," said Cusick, who noted that visitation to Michigan
has skyrocketed even as the fortunes of its largest city, Detroit, have plummeted.
"That campaign has caused a lot of people to visit Michigan. I want to create a
brand that will make people want to visit Ohio."

She has this going for her:
$10 million to spend, which is twice the budget of her predecessor, Amir Eylon,
who left in mid-2012 for a position with Brand USA, which promotes
international travel to the United States.

A native of central Ohio, Cusick,
58, spent more than three decades working in public relations and marketing for
Bob Evans, most recently as chief marketing officer. Her new position falls within
the Ohio Development Services Agency, the chief economic development arm of the
state.

On the job since December,
Cusick's ultimate goal is to boost the numbers of Ohio visitors, get them to
stay longer and spend more.

Though Ohio's tourism numbers
have grown in recent years, "there's an opportunity for a lot more," said
Cusick. "We have the capacity."

It's not as hard as it
sounds, says Todd Mesek, vice president of marketing and communications for the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Ohio has the assets – from some of the
world's best roller coasters to nationally recognized restaurants to the Rock
Hall.

Mesek is one of 11 members of
the new TourismOhio Advisory Board, a group of industry professionals who will
work with Cusick to craft the state's new message.

"We have the stuff. We have the things that
people want to do," said Mesek. The challenge is getting them to realize it.

He cited the Rock Hall, which
every year draws hundreds of thousands of visitors, from all 50 states and
dozens of foreign countries. Still, Mesek knows there are prospective visitors
who won't come, he said, because of a perception that there's nothing else to
do here.

"We're never going to be
Florida, we're never going to be California, and the weather may have something
to do with that," said Matt Ouimet, the president and chief executive officer of Cedar Fair,
the parent company of Cedar Point and Kings Island amusement parks, two of Ohio's biggest attractions. "But for a
great summer vacation, Ohio's got everything those places have, and at a more
affordable price."

Since he arrived in Ohio in
2011, Ouimet – who has worked in California and Florida -- has been outspoken
about the need for the state to invest more in tourism, the fourth-largest industry
in Ohio.

Mary Cusick, the new director of TourismOhio, is leading an effort to develop a new brand for Ohio to attract more visitors. She's shown here at a window overlooking the apple orchard at Mapleside Farms, a popular attraction in Medina County.Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer

Before the recent bump in
funding, Ohio ranked 41st in state dollars spent promoting tourism.

The effect: Too many people
know too little about what makes the state a great place to visit.

"Too often, people travel the
Ohio Turnpike to get from point A to point B," said Dan Hostetler, executive
director of the Medina County Visitors Bureau. The state needs to figure out
how to get those travelers to stop – and stay a while.

Earlier this week, Hostetler
took Cusick on a tour of some of Medina's top spots, including downtown's
historic square, the new Castle Noel Hollywood-themed holiday museum, and
Mapleside Farms, an apple orchard turned tourist attraction.

Cusick, in Medina to attend
Gov. John Kasich's State of the State address on Monday, asked Mapleside owner
Greg Clement what the state could do to help support his business. Among his answers: Help drum
up traffic during the off-season, as well as publicize the already-popular fall
festivals held on autumn weekends.

We can help with that, said
Cusick. Indeed, her office will have more money than ever before to promote
the state.

Starting this fiscal year,
which began last July, the office is being funded by a new revenue source, from
sales tax money generated by tourism-related businesses.

Previously, the division was financed
through the state's general fund, which fluctuated from year to year. This new
form of funding should be more stable – and more sizable.

This year's budget is $10
million – double what it was a year ago. Even so, it's one-third of Michigan's
budget for the Pure Michigan campaign. New this year, Michigan is marketing its
state to overseas travelers, trying to woo visitors from China, elsewhere in
Asia, and Europe.

For now, at least, Ohio will
focus on attracting visitors from surrounding states, the starting point for the the
vast majority of Ohio's tourists. "We need to own that first," said Cusick.

Because the new brand will
not be ready to use this upcoming summer season, prospective visitors to Ohio
will still be encouraged to extend their stay with the state's current
campaign, "Too Much Fun for Just One Day," which launched in 2011.

Previous pitches included
"Ohio, the Heart of It All," "Ohio, So Much To Discover," and "Ohio's For You."
(Separately, Positively Cleveland, the city's tourism arm, will reveal its new
brand at its annual meeting in March.)

Ohio's new brand should be
ready for use next year – and well beyond. An effective brand should be in
place for years, independent of changing economic conditions and election-year
politics, said Cusick.

"This isn't the flavor of the
month," agreed Cedar Fair's Ouimet, who is encouraging Cusick and the advisory
board to take their time and get it right. "It's very hard. You don't just jump
there over night."

Indeed, Cusick is quick to
point out that she doesn't know what the end product will look like. The goal,
however, is to capture all that is authentic about Ohio – from the city neighborhoods
to the small towns to the family farms.

"We don't have something as obvious as the
Grand Tetons or the Pacific Ocean," said Cusick.

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